Tesla Ranked #1 For Safety Feature Availability Via Edmunds

Tesla comes out on top among all automakers for safety feature availability (Image Credit: Bloomberg)

Despite Tesla having long-time update issues with its Autopilot 2.0 software, it’s still significantly ahead of the pack when it comes to what safety features are offered and available.

According to Bloomberg, Edmunds refers specifically to autonomous safety features in this assessment, but those are the true features of tomorrow, and those that the publication considers when it says that Tesla is ahead of other automakers. Not surprisingly, Volvo is next in line (though far from reaching Tesla), and the rest of the competition. Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, and then Toyota are next in line, but honestly, is nowhere even close. Edmunds analyst, Jessica Caldwell, shared:

“Active safety features are coming faster than we thought, and on a wide variety of vehicles. These features are the stepping stones to fully autonomous driving.”

This comes across as quite interesting since Toyota, at the lowest point on our above list, is offering many cars in base configurations (cheap) with Toyota Safety Sense. This is a full suite of active safety tech that you don’t even have to pay for and the NHTSA and IIHS deem pretty incredible. Not to mention that Honda’s suite — although you have to pay for it — is truly special. Of course, MB and Volvo are getting it right, but again, it’s not as good as it gets, and it still costs extra (as does Tesla’s features to some extent).

Companies like Toyota and Tesla have already started making certain features standard. This is because it’s the way of the future and many people aren’t willing to pay extra for new features they know nothing about.

Luxury models tend to offer more standard active safety tech and in the end, some vehicle types offer more than others. You will get less autonomous safety features in most pickup trucks than you will on midsize passenger cars, which only makes sense.

Still the most important safety feature sits on the driver’s seat. Drive like a careless maniac, and no amount of safety features can save you. With little caution and respect towards others you will most likely be fine in an older car too.

Under this ranking scheme, an automaker gets three points for a standard feature but only one point for an optional feature. This tells us more about the average price of automaker’s cars more than anything else. Tesla doesn’t make low end vehicles.

“The luxury trickle-down effect
One of strongest indicators of the pervasiveness of this technology is how
quickly active safety features have moved from the pricier luxury segment
into mainstream vehicles.”

Found the actual report.

Good job Tesla. But even according to the report, this isn’t surprising since the luxury SUV and luxury large/midsize sedans lead the industry in safety feature overall. And Tesla only makes 1 of each so it will naturally have higher score. Combined with its average selling price of $100K, it is almost a given to have the high ranking.

What is the surprising is that Honda is ranked #3 overall considering that it isn’t a luxury brand.

@Reply to ModernMarvelFan said: “… this isn’t surprising since the luxury SUV and luxury large/midsize sedans lead the industry in safety feature overall. And Tesla only makes 1 of each so it will naturally have higher score. Combined with its average [Tesla] selling price of $100K, it is almost a given to have the high ranking.”
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The Edmunds graph dramatically highlights Tesla’s policy of providing active safety features across all its models as a “standard” feature vs. BMW’s policy of providing active safety features Safety as an “optional” feature across all its models (except the standard for i8).

Tesla has taken the position that it’s immoral to exclude active safety features in standard Tesla models and Tesla invests more than any other car maker in active safety features R&D. That’s why Tesla Ranked #1 For Safety Feature Availability Via Edmunds.

The only way that any car is safe is not driving or riding one. Only Tesla has a record of killing its drivers while driving by itself! Adding more safety features doesn’t compensate for reckless or careless drivers.

Only in theory. Fully autonomy will require many, many more redundant sensors and systems. Which is a fairly large re-design (or even clean-sheet design) compared to driver-assist features. If your forward cameras, for example, hit a bunch of mosquitoes what will the AI do? (Harvey mosquitoes not Dallas mosquitoes.)

Full autonomy will also require a learning AI that is at least twice as good as an average human at driving. 10x better would be a good initial goal.

It is not a natural progression from AP2.5(level 2) to full autonomy (level 5). Level 5 means no human controls at all. That’s a huge lift.

“Full autonomy will also require a learning AI that is at least twice as good as an average human at driving. 10x better would be a good initial goal.”

I’d say, rather, twice as safe as an average human at driving. What constitutes a “good” driver is highly subjective. Most drivers consider themselves significantly better than average, but that’s a psychological thing; people tend to think of their individual habits and methods of driving as better than those used by others, thus making them superior drivers in their own eyes.

It is the 65+ that should be the ones wanting autonomous vehicles. For many of them, they will lose their drivers license sooner, not later. As such, autonomous vehicles give them away to get around town.